James Hotel, Chicago
Chicago, IL

Our design for the renovation of this historic 1929 hotel was the first urban setting for the James Hotel chain. We reinvigorated the outdated hotel building with contemporary functions and an aesthetic that is fresh and urbane. We placed a new “open” lobby on Ontario Street and relocated other public spaces there to respond to the active street frontage. We opened up larger storefront windows for better visual connections. As part of our reconfiguration, we added a new ballroom on the second floor at the base of existing light well. A new restaurant, together with a small nightclub, were also created in “found” spaces within the building.